Washington’s Festival Features AR Art Hunt

The inaugural By The People festival will bring people together to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The nonprofit organization Halcyon, which believe in the power of creativity and compassion to empower humanity, have announced the final line-up of artists, performers, and speakers who will participate in the inaugural By The People festival. The event is set to be Wasington’s largest international arts and dialogue festival taking place all across the city from June 21st to 24th. The festival intends to bring people together around the themes of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness all while promising empathy and spark civil discourse.

Throughout the event period their will be a number of official activities which will be taking place at five locations around the city. These include the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building (900 Jefferson Drive SW), Washington National Cathedral (3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW), Union Market (1309 5th St. NE), THEARC West (1801 Mississippi Ave. SE), and The Parks at Walter Reed (1010 Butternut St. NW).

Additional locations include the Anacostia Arts Center, The Anthem, Blind Whino SW Arts Club, Embassy of France, Gallery 102/GW Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, Hamiltonian, IA&A at Hillyer, The Kennedy Center, The Kreeger Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Miracle Theatre, Shakti Arts at Bossa Bistro and Lounge, Transformer at Farragut Square Park, United States Institute of Peace, and U Street Music Hall.

A number of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) events will be featured at the festival include an AR art hunt, powered by ARTECHOUSE which is said to be similar in style to PokémonGo. The public will be encouraged to use their mobile device to search for virtual artworks at every festival hub, all linked to the themes of the event.

The Smithsonian’s landmark Arts and Industries Building (A&I) will serve as the festival’s headquarters after being shuttered for more than a decade. A&I is developing a laboratory for the exploration of big questions about the future aiming to inspire Americans about the impact of creative and innovation on society.

Though wanting to attend the festival can do so by register in advance for a free four-day festival pass at the By The People website. most of the planned activities are free with a select few requiring tickets for a modest fee in order to entry. More details on the complete list of activities can be found on the website.